Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, an American Slave, Written by Himself eBook

The language of Malinda was, “Oh! my dear little
child is gone? What shall I do? my child is gone.”
This most distressing sound struck a sympathetic chord
through all the prison among the prisoners. I
was not permitted to go to my wife and inquire what
had become of little Frances. I never expected
to see her again, for I supposed that she was sold.

That night, however, I had a short interview with
my much abused wife, who told me the secret.
She said that Garrison had taken her to a private
house where he kept female slaves for the basest purposes.
It was a resort for slave trading profligates and
soul drivers, who were interested in the same business.

Soon after she arrived at this place, Garrison gave
her to understand what he brought her there for, and
made a most disgraceful assault on her virtue, which
she promptly repeled; and for which Garrison punished
her with the lash, threatening her that if she did
not submit that he would sell her child. The
next day he made the same attempt, which she resisted,
declaring that she would not submit to it; and again
he tied her up and flogged her until her garments were
stained with blood.

He then sent our child off to another part of the
city, and said he meant to sell it, and that she should
never see it again. He then drove Malinda before
him to the work-house, swearing by his Maker that
she should submit to him or die. I have already
described her entrance in the prison.

Two days after this he came again and took Malinda
out of the prison. It was several weeks before
I saw her again, and learned that he had not sold
her or the child. At the same time he was buying
up other slaves to take to New Orleans. At the
expiration of three months he was ready to start with
us for the New Orleans slave market, but we never
knew when we were to go, until the hour had arrived
for our departure.

One Sabbath morning Garrison entered the prison and
commanded that our limbs should be made ready for
the coffles. They called us up to an anvill block,
and the heavy log chains which we had been wearing
on our legs during three months, were cut off.
I had been in the prison over three months; but he
had other slaves who had not been there so long.
The hand-cuffs were then put on to our wrists.
We were coupled together two and two—­the
right hand of one to the left hand of another, and
a long chain to connect us together.

The other prisoners appeared to be sorry to see us
start off in this way. We marched off to the
river Ohio, to take passage on board of the steamboat
Water Witch. But this was at a very low time of
water, in the fall of 1839. The boat got aground,
and did not get off that night; and Garrison had to
watch us all night to keep any from getting away.
He also had a very large savage dog, which was trained
up to catch runaway slaves.